The Creator of Heaven and Earth is Sovereign over nations!
“He removes kings and establishes kings” (Daniel 2:21).
“He has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and boundaries” (Acts 17:26).
“The Most High is ruler over human kingdoms. He gives them to anyone he wants” (Daniel 4:17).
“There is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God” (Romans 13:1–2).
Take Babylon as an example.
In 586 BC, Babylon, led by Nebuchadnezzar, plundered and pillaged Jerusalem and destroyed the temple. He carried the people into exile along with everything of value. Years later, in 539 BC, while Belshazzar was ruling as the Babylonian monarch, he “held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles” (Daniel 5:1).
As the wine flowed in the grand ballroom, Belshazzar, with a simple wave of his hand, ordered the waiters and waitresses to attention. “Bring in the sacred gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar looted from the temple in Jerusalem!” (Daniel 5:2-3). In open defiance of Israel’s God, Belshazzar and his drunken guests blasphemously drank from the consecrated cups. “They drank the wine and praised their gods made of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone” (Daniel 5:4).
“At that moment the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the king’s palace wall next to the lampstand. As the king watched the hand that was writing, his face turned pale, and his thoughts so terrified him that he soiled himself and his knees knocked together” (Daniel 5:5–6).
When none of the Babylonian wise men could interpret the inscription written by the body-less hand, Daniel’s prophetic services were called upon. Standing before the terrified king, Daniel interpreted God’s writings.
“The Most High God is ruler over human kingdoms and sets anyone he wants over them... You have not glorified the God who holds your life-breath in his hand and who controls the whole course of your life. Therefore, he sent the hand, and this writing was inscribed... God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end... You have been weighed on the balance and found deficient... Your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians” (Daniel 5:21-28).
History discloses that on “that very night Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was killed, and Darius the Mede received the kingdom” (Daniel 5:30–31).
“The Most High God is ruler over human kingdoms!” (Daniel 5:21).
